Stop motion apparatus for knitting machines

ABSTRACT

Stop motion apparatus for knitting machines, yarn creels, or the like having a lengthwise extending U-shaped base and having a plurality of drop wire stop motion boxes attached to the base, the boxes, each of which have a lengthwise extending open ended U-shaped housing, are in spaced parallel relation inside and between the sides of the base with the bottom of the base commonly covering the open sides of the housings and the sides of the base commonly covering the open ends of the housings. Yarn guiding eyelets are each formed of a length of wire coiled upon itself to provide a yarn aperture and an extending pair of spaced arms of the wire, each eyelet being removeably attachable to a housing by its arms which commonly extend through an opening in the bottom of the housing and which individually extend through openings in the side walls of the housing.

United States Patent [191 Levin Nov. 13, 1973 STOP MOTION APPARATUS FORKNITTING MACHINES [22 Filed: Aug. 4, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 277,871

[52] U.S. Cl ZOO/61.13, ZOO/61.18, 66/163 [51] Int. Cl B65h 25/14 [58]Field of Search ZOO/61.13, 61.14, 200/6l.l8; l9/0.25; 28/51; 66/161,163; 139/353-358 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,521,2657/1970 Bancroft 200/6l.l8 X

Rl9,069 2/1934 Wachsman ZOO/61.18 X 2,144,124 1/1939 Rozyskie ZOO/61.182,109,605 3/1938 Wachsman 200/6l.l8 X 1,778,097 10/1930 WachsmanZOO/61.18 2,335,979 12/1943 Wachsman ZOO/61.18 X 3,442,237 5/1969 Causbyet al. 200/61J18 X 2,938,972 5/1960 Bryson ZOO/61.18

3,343,008 9/1967 Bancroft 200/6l.l8 X

Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott [57] ABSTRACT Stop motion apparatus forknitting machines, yarn creels, or the like having a lengthwiseextending U- shaped base and having a plurality of drop wire stop motionboxes attached to the base, the boxes, each of which have a lengthwiseextending open ended U- shaped housing, are in spaced parallel relationinside and between the sides of the base with the bottom of the basecommonly covering the open sides of the housings and the sides of thebase commonly covering the open ends of the housings. Yarn guidingeyelets are each formed of a length of wire coiled upon itself toprovide a yarn aperture and an extending pair of spaced arms of thewire, each eyelet being removeably attachable to a housing by its armswhich commonly extend through an opening in the bottom of the housingand which individually extend through openings in the side walls of thehousing.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures l7g' 20f 77 25 22 73 23 "4209 5 A\ 20f 21f6 f 266 L t t 5 26 ,y

PAIENIEH um 13 4975 SHEET 2 BF 2 STOP MOTION APPARATUS FOR KNITTINGMACHINES The present invention relates generally to the art of knittingand more particularly to stop motion apparatus for use with knittingmachines or the like wherein a plurality of individual drop wire stopmotion boxes are provided for a like plurality of individual yarns.

Individual drop wire stop motion boxes, each complete in itself, haveheretofore been provided on knitting machines, the boxes being of thetype wherein the drop wire falls by gravity when the yarn runs outthereby to cause the machine to stop. Such stop motion boxes areindividually mounted upon the machine, their drop wires had little or noprotection from entan glement with slack yarns and they were providedwith porcelain yarn eyelets which occupied an excessive amount of space.i

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide stopmotion apparatus for a plurality of individual yarns including aplurality of spaced drop wire stop motion boxes which are formed inconjunction with a common base and cover member therefor, in which thecover member prevents slack yarn from becoming entangled with the dropwires, and in which yarn eyelets are provided of coiled wire in aminimum of space.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, the present inventionresides in the novel elements of construction and arrangement of partsof the stop motion apparatus illustrated and as hereinafter particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a plurality of verticallyextending individual drop wire motion boxes'of the present stop motionapparatus disposed in spaced relation within and extending crosswise ofa horizontally extending common U-shaped channel base member and coverfor the boxes, according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the stop motion apparatus of FIG. 1 showingthe manner in which individual stop motion boxes are secured to theircommon cover,

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the stop motion apparatus of FIG. 1showing the common electrical connection between the individual stopmotion boxes,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 4-4 of FIG. 2through the U-shaped channel housing of one of the drop wire stop motionboxes, showing the construction within the housing and showing theattachment of the stop motion box to the base member and common coverfor the boxes,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. '4 showing the manner ofpivotally mounting the drop wire itself in the housing of the stopmotion boxes,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 4 also showing the mannerof pivotally mounting the drop wire,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of FIG. 4 through the U-shapedhousing of .a stop motion box showing the manner in which the yarn guideeyelets are mounted therein, and

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the individual parts, in perspective, of adrop wire stopmotion box and associated parts of the present invention.

In the drawings, each of the drop wire stop motion boxes, indicatedgenerally at 10, of the present apparatus, has an open ended U-shapedchannel 11, of suitable electrically conductive material, formed withsimilar sides 11a, 11b and with front 110, the rear of the housing beingopen. A centrally disposed aperture 1 1d is formed in the front of thehousing and a pair of spaced parallel slots lle, lle are also formedtherein between the aperture and the upper end llf of the housing, theslots extending through and crosswise of the front of the housing. Eachside 11a, 11b of the housing is provided with a pair of verticallyaligned and spaced similar apertures 1 lg, 1 lg, the apertures in eachside being horizontally aligned with the corresponding apertures in theother side and also with slots lle, 1 le. The housing is furtherprovided with an aligned pair of open ended slots 11h, 11h, formed insides 11a, 11b and extending upwardly a relatively short distance fromend 11k of the housing.

Extending within aperture 11d in the housing is the circular undercutportion 12a of a shouldered and apertured washer 12 of suitable nonelectrical conductive material. A screw 13 of suitable length extendsthrough the aperture in washer 12, the underside of the head 13a of thescrew being in contact with the exposed shouldered portion of the washerso that the screw is physically spaced and electrically insulated fromthe housing by the washer, the screw itself extending into and throughthe housing.

Disposed on the screw inside the housing is a rectangularly shaped strip14, of suitable electrically insulating material, having an aperture 140of suitable size adjacent one end thereof and through which the screwextends. The insulating strip extends downwardly from the screw to apoint adjacent end 11k of the housing, the strip lying adjacent to theinner face of front 1 1c of the housing with its longitudinal edges inclose proximity to the inner faces of the housing sides 1 la, 1 1b. Nexton the screw in contact with strip 14 is a flat relatively thinapertured washer 15, preferably of suitable electrically insulatingmaterial,

Then, following washer 15 on the screw and in contact therewith is arelatively thin and flexible strip 16 of suitable electricallyconductive material, of the same general rectangular size and shape asstrip 14, and having an aperture 16a of suitable size adjacent one endthereof through which the screw extends. The other end of strip 16 maybe angled at 16b away from strip 14. The washer 15 acts to space thestrips 16 and 14 to permit flexing of the former strip toward and awayfrom the latter strip. Next on the screw, in contact with strip 16, is aflat apertured washer 17 of suitable electrically conductive material,followed by a nut 18 also of suitable electrically conductive material,the nut being threaded and tightened on the screw to clamp the partsthereon together against the inner face of front of the housing, asappears in FIG. 4, with the free end of the screw extending well beyondthe rear opening of the housing.

Also on housingll of each box is a pair of vertically spaced similarlyformed yarn eyelets 19, 19, extending horizontally outwardly from facellc between aperture 11d and end 11f of the housing. Each eyelet,generally similar in configuration to the coiled end portion of a commonsafety pin, is formed of hardened spring wire coiled upon itself toprovide a central aperture 190, and spaced arms 19b, 19b of suitablelength extendingangularly therefrom, the ends of the arms being offsetand terminating with the aligned relatively'short stub portions 19c,190. The manner of mounting each of the eyelets on the housing will beunderstood by reference to FIG. 7. The arms 19b, 19b are brought closerto each other by compression about the central wire coil until the stubs19c, 190 are close enough to be thrust through a slot 1 Re, andthereafter the arms 19b, 19b are permitted to spring apart with the stubends entering an opposed pair of apertures 11g, 11g. The eyelets 19 areretained in fixed position by the action of the walls of slot lle onarms 19b, 19b and by spring tensioned action of the arms in retainingthe stubs in the apertures 11g, 11g. Arms 1%, 1% are of sufficientlength to position apertures 19a, 19a in spaced relation to face 110 ofthe housing. Apertures 19a, 19a are vertically aligned and a yarn Ypasses therethrough and through another pair of adjacently disposed andaligned eyelets, to be described.

Each housing 11 is also provided with a pivotally mounted drop wire 20of suitable electrically conductive material and which has the irregularconfiguration shown in FIG. 8. The drop wire, at one end thereof, has aspaced aligned pair of base members 20a, 20a separated by a U-shapedstriker member 200, the base members being adapted to be placed inspaced slots 11h, lllh of the housing. The wire extends at right anglesto the base members at the ends thereof to provide spaced parallelupright arms 20d, 20s, and it will be noted that the aforementionedparts of the drop wire are in a common flat plane. Arm 20d terminates ashort distance from base 20a while arm 20e continues for a suitabledistance before extending at right angles to form cross arm 20f abovestriker 20c, cross arm 20f being generally parallel to bases 20a, 20b.Cross arm 20f continues for a suitable distance, preferably extendingbeyond arm 20d, before turning upwardly at right angles to form arm 20g,arms 20g and 20e extending in opposite directions from the ends of crossarm 20f. Arm 20g then continues for a suitable distance before turningat right angles to form cross arm 20h in spaced parallel relation tocross arm 20f, cross arm 20h preferably extending a short distancebeyond the end ally retained therein by a self tensioned spring keeper.

21. The keeper, of relatively thin electrically conductive springmaterial, has an offset portion 21a midway between a pair of alignedends 21b, 21b. The portion 21a is compressed to place the ends thereofin the slots 11h (below bases 20a, 20b of the drop wire) afterwhich thekeeper is released from compression so that the ends are self retainedin thehousing by the spring action of the material of which it isformed. The keeper ends do not extend the fulllength of slots 11h in thehousing so that the drop wire bases are loosely retained in the slotsabove the keeper.

The boxes W are individually mounted vertically in spaced parallelrelation within a common lengthwise extending base and cover member 22of suitable electrically conductive material, FIG. 1. The cover andbase, of U-shaped channel formation, is disposed so that its sides 22a,22b are horizontally spaced with the boxes 10 disposed adjacent theinner face of bottom 22c of the base and cover. The bottom is providedwith a series of spaced holes 22d through which screws 13 of the boxes10 extend. Each screw 13 also extends through an apertured stand off 23formed of suitable non electrically conductive material and providedwith a shoulder 23a, the shoulder being inserted into aperture 22d fromthe outer face of bottom 220. Each screw 13 also extends through asuitable aperture 24a of a series of spaced apertures formed in alengthwise extending strip 24 of suitable electrically conductivematerial. A nut 25 is then threaded and tightened on each screw 13 tohold each box'l0 in place within the side walls of channel 22 with theopen side of each housing 11 against inner face of bottom 22c, stand off23 and strap 24 at the same time being secured between nut 25 and theouter face of bottom 220. The dimensions of base and cover 22 are suchthat appropriate portions of its three sides extend around the open top,bottom and rear sides of the housing 11 of each box 10 to completelycover the same thereby to enclose the parts within the housings. Theparts upon each screw 13 and the screw itself are electrically insulatedfrom the housing of each box 10 and from base 22 while the screws 13 ofthe series of boxes are electrically connected by the strap 24.

Channel 22 is provided in its sides 22a, 22b with pairs of porcelainyarn guiding eyelets 26, 26a which are aligned with each other and withthe aligned eyelets 19 of each box 10. Yarns Y extend vertically throughthe aligned eyelets in the channel and in the boxes. Each yarn Ysupports the drop wire in each box 10 in the generally upright positionof FIG. 4 with cross bar 20f of the drop wire in contact with yarn Ybetween eyelets 19, 19 and cross bar 20h in contact with yarn Y betweenupper eyelet 19 and eyelet 26a. In this position of the drop wire itsstriker 20c isspaced from strip 16. Drop wire 20 leans against and isheld inits generally upright position by yarn Y so that should the yarnrun out, the drop wire 20 will move downwardly by the force of gravityto its dotted line position in which position its striker portion 200will make electrical contact with strip 16 thereby closing an'electricalcircuit. The circuit is suitably connected to the machine using theyarns Y to stop the machine when any of the yarns run out of a box 10.

It will be noted that the base and cover 22 may be of any desiredlength, that any desired number of the boxes 10 may be supportedlyplaced in the base and cover, that the upper side of the base and coverprevents entanglement of slack yarn with the drop wires and that all ofthe boxes may be operatively positioned upon a yarn creel, upon aknitting machine or the like, by the mere positioning of the base andcover.

I claim: I g

1. Yarn controlled stop motion apparatus having a lengthwise extendinggenerally U-shaped base member, and a plurality of individual drop wirestop motion boxes attached to said base member, each of said boxeshaving a lengthwise extending generally U-shaped housing, said housingsbeing spaced and extending crosswise of said base member between theside walls of the U-shape thereof, each said box having yarn passingtherethrough and having a drop wire element in the housing thereof, saidelement being supportingly maintained in a first position by said yarnpassing through said box and being movable by gravity to a secondposition in the absence of said supporting yarn, an electrical circuitwherein said element serves as a switch, said circuit being open whensaid element is in its said first position and being closed when saidelement is in its said second position.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said housings are open ended, whereinsaid side walls of said base member are disposed to commonly cover saidopen ends of said housings, and wherein the bottom side of the U+ shapeof said base member is disposed to commonly cover the open sides of theU-shape of said housings.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein a threaded member extends through thebottom side of the U-shape of each of said housings, wherein each ofsaid threaded members also extend through said bottom side of said basemember, wherein said threaded members serve to attach said stop motionboxes to said base member, wherein said threaded members areelectrically insulated from said housings and from said base member, andwherein said threaded members are electrically connected.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein at least one yarn guiding eyelet issupportedly attached to each of said housings, wherein said bottom sideof each of said housings is provided with at least one crosswiseextending slot, wherein the side walls of the U-shape of each of saidhousings are each provided with an aperture, wherein each of saideyelets is formed of a length of wire coiled upon itself and having apair of arms of said wire extending therefrom, and wherein said arms ofsaid eyelet extend through said slot in each said housing to theinterior thereof with the ends of said arms extending through saidapertures.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said base member extends horizontallyand said housings extend vertically, wherein each of said housings isprovided with a vertically aligned spaced pair of said eyelets, whereinsaid upper and lower positioned side walls of said base member are eachprovided with yarn guiding eyelets in vertical alignment with said pairof eyelets in each of said housings, and wherein a yarn is adapted topass through each pair of said eyelets in each of said housings andthrough said eyelets aligned therewith in said base member.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein a drop wire is pivotally supported ineach of said housings in such manner as to be rockable between a pair ofpositions, wherein said drop wire is so disposed as to be held in one ofits said pair of positions by said yarn in contact therewith, andwherein said drop wire is movable by gravity to the other of its saidpair of positions when said drop wire is no longer held by said yarn.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said drop wire is provided with apair of horizontally extending cross arms, wherein one of said crossarms is so disposed as to be in contact with said yarn extending betweensaid pair of eyelets on each of said housings, and wherein the other ofsaid cross arms is so disposed as to be in contact with said yarnextending between the upper one of said last named pair of eyelets andsaid eyelet in the upper side wall of said base member.

8. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein each of said housings is providedwith a spaced pair of vertically extending open ended slots formed inits side walls at the lower ends thereof, wherein said drop wire ispivotally disposed in said slots, and wherein a self tensioned keepermember extends between and is positioned in said slots thereby to retainsaid drop wire therein.

9. The combination of a yarn guiding eyelet and a support therefor, saidsupport having at least three sidesarranged in U-shape configuration andhaving openings in each of its said sides, said eyelet being formed of alength of wire coiled upon itself to provide an aperture for the passageof yarn therethrough and to provide a pair of spaced arms of said wireextending therefrom, said eyelet being attachable to said support insuch manner that its arms extend through said opening in the bottom sideof the U-shape of said support to the interior thereof with the ends ofsaid arms projecting individually through said openings in the spacedsides of the U-shape of said support.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein said yarn aperture isspaced from said bottom side of said support, wherein said arms arespring urged away from each other, and wherein the size of said openingsand the size of said wire are such that said eyelet is attached to saidsupport so that there is substantially no movement of said yarn aperturerelative to said support.

1. Yarn controlled stop motion apparatus having a lengthwise extendinggenerally U-shaped base member, and a plurality of individual drop wirestop motion boxes attached to said base member, each of said boxeshaving a lengthwise extending generally U-shaped housing, said housingsbeing spaced and extending crosswise of said base member between theside walls of the U-shape thereof, each said box having yarn passingtherethrough and having a drop wire element in the housing thereof, saidelement being supportingly maintained in a first position by said yarnpassing through said box and being movable by gravity to a secondposition in the absence of said supporting yarn, an electrical circuitwherein said element serves as a switch, said circuit being open whensaid element is in its said first position and being closed when saidelement is in its said second position.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1wherein said housings are open ended, wherein said side walls of saidbase member are disposed to commonly cover said open ends of saidhousings, and wherein the bottom side of the U-shape of said base memberis disposed to commonly cover the open sides of the U-shape of saidhousings.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein a threaded member extendsthrough the bottom side of the U-shape of each of said housings, whereineach of said threaded members also extend through said bottom side ofsaid base member, wherein said threaded members serve to attach saidstop motion boxes to said base member, wherein said threaded members areelectrically insulated from said housings and from said base member, andwherein said threaded members are electrically connected.
 4. Apparatusas in claim 3 wherein at least one yarn guiding eyelet is supportedlyattached to each of said housings, wherein said bottom side of each ofsaid housings is provided with at least one crosswise extending slot,wherein the side walls of the U-shape of each of said housings are eachprovided with an aperture, wherein each of said eyelets is formed of alength of wire coiled upon itself and having a pair of arms of said wireextending therefrom, and wherein said arms of said eyelet extend throughsaid slot in each said housing to the interior thereof with the ends ofsaid arms extending through said apertures.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 4wherein said base member extends horizontally and said housings extendvertically, wherein each of said housings is provided with a verticallyaligned spaced pair of said eyelets, wherein said upper and lowerpositioned side walls of said base member are each provided with yarnguiding eyelets in vertical alignment with said pair of eyelets in eachof said housings, and wherein a yarn is adapted to pass through eachpair of said eyelets in each of said housings and through said eyeletsaligned therewith in said base member.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 5wherein a drop wire is pivotally supported in each of said housings insuch manner as to be rockable between a pair of positions, wherein saiddrop wire is so disposed as to be held in one of its said pair ofpositions by said yarn in contact therewith, and wherein said drop wireis movable by gravity to the other of its said pair of positions whensaid drop wire is no longer held by said yarn.
 7. Apparatus as in claim6 wherein said drop wire is provided with a pair of horizontallyextending cross arms, wherein one of said cross arms is so disposed asto be in contact with said yarn extending between said pair of eyeletson each of said housings, and wherein the other of said cross arms is sodisposed as to be in contact with said yarn extending between the upperone of said last named pair of eyelets and said eyelet in the upper sidewall of said base member.
 8. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein each ofsaid housings is provided with a spaced pair of vertically extendingopen ended slots formed in its side walls at the lower ends thereof,wherein said drop wire is pivotally disposed in said slots, and whereina self tensioned keeper member extends between and is positioned in saidslots thereby to retain said drop wire therein.
 9. The combination of ayarn guiding eyelet and a support therefor, said support having at leastthree sides arranged in U-shape configuration and having openings ineach of its said sides, said eyelet being formed of a length of wirecoiled upon itself to provide an aperture for the passage of yarntherethrough and to provide a pair of spaced arms of said wire extendingtherefrom, said eyelet being attachable to said support in such mannerthat its arms extend through said opening iN the bottom side of theU-shape of said support to the interior thereof with the ends of saidarms projecting individually through said openings in the spaced sidesof the U-shape of said support.
 10. The combination set forth in claim 9wherein said yarn aperture is spaced from said bottom side of saidsupport, wherein said arms are spring urged away from each other, andwherein the size of said openings and the size of said wire are suchthat said eyelet is attached to said support so that there issubstantially no movement of said yarn aperture relative to saidsupport.